Career

Early days

The group began as The Classics, a Jacksonvillecover band consisting of guitarists J. R. Cobb, Walter Eaton, keyboardist & guitar Joe Wilson, and singer Dennis Yost. Cobb and producer-manager Buddy Buie would later form Atlanta Rhythm Section with the Candymen drummer Robert Nix, also from Jacksonville, and keyboardist Dean Daughtry in 1970[2]. Yost had previously been a member of the Echoes. The name "the Classics" came from the Classic drum set Yost owned. He was known in the Georgia/Florida area as the "stand-up drummer" because he played standing up. The Classics played Ventures covers, as well as instrumental versions of "Misty" and "Summertime". People started requesting vocals, so Dennis would say "I can sing that," and that was the beginning of the group's new direction.

The band was discovered performing in Daytona Beach by talent agent Paul Cochran, who became the band's manager in partnership with Buie. The pair had formed an alliance with manager-publisher Bill Lowery and urged the band to relocate to Atlanta. With the help of Lowery, they quickly snagged the group a singles deal with Capitol Records. The Classics' debut single was "Pollyanna", a song written by Lowery client Joe South and sung in a style which resembled that of the Four Seasons. Shortly after that they received a letter informing them that there was already a recording act named 'the Classics', who had a single titled "Till Then." In an effort to differentiate themselves, Yost and company added "IV" to the name because there were (at that time) four members.

The Classics IV performed "Pollyanna" on Dick Clark's TV Show Where the Action Is! and "Pollyanna" was a regional hit. But when WABC (AM) radio in New York started playing it they received a call from the Four Seasons' manager demanding they cease airplay of "Pollyanna" or they would no longer get exclusives on future Four Seasons recordings, among other disincentives.[3] The group landed a deal with Imperial Records. Guitarists Cobb and Buie added lyrics to a jazz instrumental titled "Spooky", a regional hit for Atlanta saxophonist Mike Sharpe. The single made it to No. 3 on the Hot 100 on 10-24 February 1968 in the U.S. and No. 46 in the UK.

Drummer Kim Venable (born Clayton Kimbal Venable on May 5, 1944 in Eclectic, Alabama, died June 12, 2016)[4] was brought in so Yost could move freely out front (Dennis St. John (drummer) and Emory Gordy (Bass) were the musicians on their studio recordings). Emory Gordy was also co-writer on the song Traces. Daughtry replaced Wilson. The band changed its name to 'the Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost' and enjoyed two more top-10 hits, "Stormy" (1968, Hot 100 No. 5) and "Traces" (1969, Hot 100 No. 2, Easy Listening No. 2). Cobb and Buie borrowed heavily from 1936's "Everyday with Jesus" by Robert C. and Wendell P. Loveless to pen the top 20 follow-up "Everyday with You Girl" (1969, Hot 100 No. 19, Easy Listening No. 12). In 1971 Michael Huey[5] became the drummer after working for other Lowery artists Tommy Roe and the Swingin' Medallions. During this period Huey also became the staff drummer for Lowery Studios, and later moved to L.A.

They changed their name again, this time to "Dennis Yost and the Classics IV", and had one last top 40 hit, "What Am I Crying for?" (1972, No. 39) on MGM South. J.R. Cobb's Atlanta Rhythm Section played on Al Kooper's album "Naked Songs"(1973) include "Jolie". And Atlanta Rhythm Section charted the hits "Doraville" (1974), "So into You" (1977), "Imaginary Lover" and "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" (1978), "Do It Or Die" and "Spooky" (1979), and "Alien" (1981).

Later career

In 1975 Yost began performing solely under his own name, and eventually he lost the rights to the Classics IV name. During the 1990s, without the trademark, he used many backup bands including Steve "Stevie G" Guettler (guitar, vocals), Jeff "JT" Strickler (bass guitar, vocals), Steve Farrell (guitar, vocals), Mike Wilson (keyboards, vocals), and Wes Armstrong (drums, vocals) of the Atlanta-based group The Rockerz. He also used Nashville-based Steve Jarrell and The Sons of the Beach Band, as well as the Hitts out of Virginia Beach, Virginia, with Ed Hutchison (guitar, backing vocals), Ramon Gonzalez (keyboards, backing vocals), Andy Crosswell (drums), and David Voss.

In 2001 Yost underwent successful throat surgery for a condition that had severely impaired his singing voice. He also won a trademark dispute which gave him exclusive rights to the name The Classics IV for both performing and recording purposes.

Injury and death of Dennis Yost

On July 11, 2006, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious brain trauma. To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhino's Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The benefit was hosted by Yost's close friend Jon "Bowser" Bauman, former vocalist with Sha Na Na. Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950s through the 1970s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Yost. Some of the artists performing that day were Denny Laine (the Moody Blues and Wings), Chuck Negron (previously of Three Dog Night), Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), Pat Upton (Spiral Starecase), "Diamond" Dave Somerville, the Skyliners, Buzz Cason, Carl Dobkins Jr., Mark Volman (the Turtles), and The Robby Campbell Trio. The concert did not significantly benefit Yost or his wife financially, as was hoped; expenses far exceeded the money raised, leaving the event in the red. However, it was a huge boost for Yost to visit with so many old friends.

After Yost's accident, he chose Tom Garrett to replace him as lead singer for the Classics IV. The plan was for Yost to make a few yearly "special appearances", and gradually have Garrett take over as the leader of the band. However, Yost was able to perform with them for only one appearance in 2008. Garrett and Yost worked closely together to develop the current lineup. He chose Garrett to help him keep the Classics IV music going in the Classics IV tradition. Yost would listen to the band on recorded CDs, and during that time Garrett and Yost became close friends. The band Yost chose in 2007 to continue his legacy with the Classics IV trademark consisted of Garrett as lead vocalist, Kevin Lloyd on bass, Tim Ridgeway on drums, Joe Sadler on guitar, Garard Montague III on flute and saxophone, and James Yoder on keyboards. In early 2012, due to health issues Montague was replaced on saxophone and flute by Paul Weddle.

Yost died at the age of 65 from respiratory failure on December 7, 2008, the 40th anniversary of the entrance of "Stormy" into the Hot 100's top 10.[7]